Hamburg’s stunning Elbphilharmonie concert hall is set to open in January of 2017

The vision of Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany has finally become a reality. Conceived nearly thirteen years ago, the project has had a long history of delays and budget revisions. There’s good news just around the corner, however, as the Elphi is gearing up for its grand opening concert on January 11, 2017.

Situated around 120 feet above the ground, atop the Kaispeicher A brick warehouse and beneath the new glass structure, the concert hall features as many as 10,000 acoustic panels that ensure optimal sound quality. Lying just above the Elphi is a public plaza that is currently open to the public. As pointed out by the developers, the open space can be accessed by means of a stunning, glass-lined, curved escalator that is approximately 269 feet in length.

Considered to be tallest inhabited building in all of Hamburg, the structure offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the neighboring harbor. The spectacular glass construction consists of 600 individually-curved glass panels that extend towards the sky in a sort of asymmetric, wave-like pattern. Apart from the plaza and the concert hall, the building also houses a five-star hotel, residential apartments, a restaurant, a fitness center and so on.

Given its location, however, it’s no surprise that the Elbphilharmonie concert hall comes with a hefty price tag of reportedly $870 million, which is nearly ten times the original estimate.

To know more about the project, head over to the official website of Herzog & de Meuron.